Are you a fan of “The Paleo View” Podcast on iTunes? If you’re not, you should be. Stacy Toth from The Paleo Parents and Sarah Ballantyne of The Paleo Mom host it every week and talk Paleo gossip, science, Q&A, and FUN. It is informative, funny, and soothing. OH. MY. GOSH is it soothing. Stacy has the most soothing voice on the face of the planet. The woman was made for radio (or web) shows. Seriously. Aside from being a beautiful person inside and out, I know exactly why Matt is married to her. I’d marry her voice if I could. I’ve been a panelist on their Breastfeeding “show” and wish we could have talked all night long. If you have any questions regarding breastfeeding and the Paleo lifestyle, listen to that podcast fo’sho’.
In any event, I’m mentioning this because Stacy gave me a little shout out this week for planning Paleo meals on a budget. I’m always star-struck when Stacy or Matt give me a shout out, because they’re like The God and Goddess of Amazing Transformations With Paleo and I love and respect them both, so hearing Stacy croon, “Summer from Dirty Floor Diaries Dot Com” was like eating an entire gallon of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, without the super sick feeling afterwards.
I love that in this uncomfortable financial position that my family is in, I am able to provide other families in uncomfortable financial positions some grocery bill relief, a healthy lifestyle, and the hope that despite being unable to afford high-quality meats, we can still make positive life changes with the goal of our ultimate health in mind. I. LOVE. THAT.
I feel terrible that I didn’t get a meal plan up last week, even after someone asked for one and I promised to deliver.
After getting the flu which turned into a raging sinus infection, being sick for over 2 weeks, and only taking like 3/4 of a shower , my motivation has gone completely out the window. Hearing Stacy mention this place and my affordable family meal plans lit a fire under my enormous ass, and I’m ready to get this show back on the road.
So I scoured the weekly ads for our local grocery stores, and the ONLY thing on sale is chicken breast. While it’s very versatile, it can get extremely old to eat chicken every, single day for a week, especially when you’re eating eggs for breakfast. Which brings me to my next question: What came first, the caveman or the caveman diet?
This meal plan will be a great plan for those of us who span the nations because the same things that are NOT on sale in my region, might be on sale in your region. Your grocery bill might be even cheaper than mine!
Wouldn’t that be cool?
For those of you looking for breakfast ideas, I have one of my favorites on the list this week. It is the only breakfast listed, but eggs cooked with leftover veggies and/or meat will be my picks every other day of the week.
Also, I’m trying to get away from explaining every dish to you, so if you have any questions, please feel free to email me and ask. I am usually relatively quick at getting back to emails, unless of course, I’m dying of the manflu or trying to ignore life in which case, you should keep prodding me.
I hope you eat well this week!
Paleo Meal Planning – Nothing’s On Sale!
Breakfast:
Apple Bumpkin Bake
This sweet, delicious Paleo Breakfast Bake can be made one evening, sliced into pieces, stored, and saved for a quick breakfast each morning. It makes about 12 servings, so for the babies and me that’s about 4 days. I drizzle some Grade B Pure Maple Syrup on it for the babes but I just eat it as it is. My mouth is watering right now. Literally.
Lunch:
I’m going to be completely honest, sometimes I completely skip lunch in lieu of a handful of nuts, or a few strips of bacon. Other times I eat leftovers. Unless you have a family of 6, or some extremely hungry family members, I guarantee you that you will have leftovers this week. Let’s really focus on our budgets this week and eat what we make. Goal for the week: NO FOOD THROWN AWAY!
Dinner:
Roasted Mustard Fish with Spaghetti Squash
Roasted Mustard Fish
Serves | 6-8 |
Prep time | 5 minutes |
Cook time | 15 minutes |
Total time | 20 minutes |
Allergy | Fish |
Dietary | Diabetic , Gluten Free |
Meal type | Main Dish |
Misc | Child Friendly , Gourmet , Serve Hot |
Occasion | Casual Party , Formal Party |
Ingredients
- 8 Fish Filets (We generally use Tilapia, and you want each filet to be approximately 8oz)
- Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper (To Taste)
- 1 can Coconut Milk (Full Fat)
- 6 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons Whole-Grain Mustard
- 4 tablespoons Minced Shallot
- 4 teaspoons Capers (Drained)
Note
You can prep the sauce beforehand, so all you have to do is pull the pre-made sauce and fish out of the refrigerator and dump it on the fish. Wham, bam, thank you fish!
Directions
Step 1 | |
Preheat oven to 425*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This is the lazy woman's way to make clean-up super easy. And the fish cooks better. Without sticking. So you don't have to scrub the baking sheet. | |
Step 2 | |
Sprinkle each filet with salt and pepper. If there is skin on the fish, make sure you roast skin-side down. | |
Step 3 | |
Combine coconut milk, both mustards, shallots, capers, 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper in a small bowl. | |
Step 4 | |
Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is covered. You don't want to see any fishy fish poking through. Coat that slimy little fish with your delicious sauce. | |
Step 5 | |
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until fish flakes when touched with a fork. You want your fish flaky. Not your spouse, but your fish. Flaky fish, not flaky spouse. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Nobody likes dry tuna. Or tilapia for that matter. | |
Step 6 | |
Serve on a pretty plate, take photos with your phone and upload them to Instagram, share on Twitter, Facebook, and all of your other networks, and don't forget to tag @DirtyFloorDiary in the process.
ENJOY your Roasted Mustard Fish! |
The fish recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook. Serve this with Spaghetti Squash, cooked however you have time to cook it. I
LOVE this recipe with all of my heart,
but it does have dairy in it. Spaghetti Squash is equally good roasted then drizzled with olive oil with a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. Sprinkle some
12yr aged Balsamic
on it? Divine. Roast your squash the night before and simply reheat while the fish is cooking for an extremely quick dinner.
Adobo Chicken with Seasoned Yellow “Rice”
This homemade Paleo Adobo Chicken recipe is SO FREAKING GOOD. The rice is amazing and you won’t even realize you’re eating Cauliflower Rice because it is so well seasoned.
Puerto Rican Plantain Lasagna (Pastelon)
I haven’t tried this Paleo Lasagna yet, but with The Paleo Mom, you just can’t go wrong. I feel like I’m kind of on a tropical kick this week, are you feeling that too? I’m excited to try a new way to make lasagna that doesn’t involve squash since The Workaholic doesn’t eat it. Tell me how you like this if you eat it before I do! PS: I don’t think it needs an extra side item, what do you think?
Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs & Roasted Broccoli
More chicken thighs. Chicken thighs = delicious, juicy, cheap meat. You will become OBSESSED with this Paleo chicken recipe . OBSESSED. I’m not gonna lie, when The Workaholic isn’t home, I don’t grill these, I bake them with the Maple Mustard deliciousness on top of them. You’ll thank me.
To roast broccoli, preheat oven to 350*, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, then roast for 25 – 30 minutes until broccoli is fork-tender but crunchy.
Paleo Mango Coconut Chipotle Chicken – (Slow Cooker Recipe) with Sauteed Cabbage
A stupid easy and crazy good Paleo Slow Cooker recipe . I have to reduce the amount of Chipotle in it because of my kids, but if you’re kidless, GO FOR IT. The recipe only calls for 1lb of chicken but because we have such a big, starving family, I added another pound to the shopping list, which means that I also added an additional can of coconut milk to the list as well. You can never have too much coconut milk.
For the cabbage, cut cabbage in half, then chop into ribbons. The cabbage can be as big or as small as you want it. We like 1/2″ wide ribbons that are about 3″ long. Heat 2T coconut or olive oil in a wok or skillet then add cabbage. Saute until wilted and soft, then add salt and pepper to taste. It will take about 20 minutes of sauteeing, with occasional stirring. If you’re feeling refined, first chop an onion and saute in the oil, then add cabbage once onion has begun to become transparent.
BLTA Chicken Breast Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries, & Cauliflower Salad
I haven’t made these delicious Paleo BLTA Sandwiches since before we left Savannah, which was in June of 2012. Not quite a year, but WAY too long because they’re delicious. They take under 30 minutes to whip up, and really offer a fun alternative to a burger or BLT sandwich made with bread.
Make the Cauliflower salad first and have it chilling before you eat your “sandwich”. Cook the sweet potato fries according to this delicious recipe from Nom Nom Paleo , and you’ll be on your way for a great dinner, or heck, lunch for that matter!
Snacks:
IF you need a salty snack or a sweet treat, these are my favorites right now. I don’t recommend these if you’re trying to lose weight. Stick to raw veggies and fruit if you are working Paleo for weight loss. If you’re new to the lifestyle and need something to help ease you in, these are great. These items are not included on the shopping list, so please remember to add them if you plan to make them.
Slim Palate’s Brownie Bites (I Substitute the vanilla for 1-1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract for a thin mint cookie eat-alike)
The Paleo Parents’ Banana Pumpkin Pucks
Darcie says
Awesome site, you are such a great resource – so many good ideas I can’t wait to try! Thank you Paleo Parents for sending me your way 🙂
Stephen Campbell says
My CrossFit Gym is starting a 6 week Paleo Challenge March 9th. i just came upon your site and its awesome!
I would like for our participants to follow you throughout this Challenge and beyond. Thanks.
Summer says
Awwwwwwww, thanks!!!! That makes me smile so huge right now. 🙂 I’m happy to partner with you on your challenge! I wish I was in the same vicinity so I could come to your CF gym!
Brandie says
WOW I think I have fallen in love with your site! I just started on the Paleo lifestyle and get a little over whelmed and confused at times. This puts it all out there and is very easy to follow. Thank you so much!!
Summer says
Thanks, Brandie! I am so happy to hear that. Please know that you can come here if you have any questions, ever and I’ll answer them the best I can.
Mallory says
I made the Roasted Mustard Fish with Spaghetti Squash and Wow! So yummy! The sauce was so flavorful and had a hollandaise feel to it. With the leftovers the next morning I made a sweet potato, parsnip and bacon hash with poached eggs and the suauce on top! Love love love that sauce! So glad I found your blog!
Summer says
Awwwwwww!!!! Mallory! That makes me smile so big! It’s one of my few creations and I’m so glad you like it. It gives me confidence to try more 🙂 Your sweet potato, parsnip, bacon hash sounds divine!
Coby says
I came across this page through Pinterest, and WOW. The Apple Bumpkin Bake is amazeballs. We have the mustard fish/chicken on deck for tonight (no on in my house really eats fish so we’re subbing for chicken), and I have to tell you I am so looking forward to it. Thanks!
Lisa says
My daughter and I want to start this plan when I go to California for the month of July. I love your version since we both struggle financially. Do you have meal plans that start with the detox? I love the looks of the recipes I have seen on your blog and hungrily look forward to more!
Summer says
HI Lisa! I am so humbled that you found my site and feel that it will help you! There are lots of posts here for inexpensive meal planning, and remember – some ingredients aren’t “necessary” if you don’t have them in your budget! I don’t have meal plans that start with a Detox, but you’ve given me a great idea to start! I find that it’s best to go cold turkey and just DO IT! You really don’t feel results until you are doing it 100%. Also, check out my recent posts about the PCOS diet. There’s one that compares Paleo, the PCOS Diet, & Primal. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have, and connect with me on Facebook for another way to get in touch easily! http://www.facebook.com/dirtyfloordiaries I look forward to hearing how your journey goes!
laura says
Summer, do you have a lay out of your budget somewhere? I want to go completely paleo but can’t make breakfast work. We are a family of 5 and a toddler. Right now we eat oats for breakfast every morning so it’s not processed, and it is what I can fit in the budget. Oats are 2.29 for 42oz and with 3 containers it feeds us all breakfast for 2weeks. Regular mass produced eggs are $1.49/doz ( .99) so eggs everyday is not an option either with I do not splurge and make every penny count by looking for reduced and sale items to cook around those things. I have a great knowledge on what’s a good buy and which store has the cheapest price. My budget is $300 for two weeks. That includes diapers, wipes, and every other house necessity: toilet paper, hand soap, spices, trash bags, etc. What does your budget look like? Any practical advice? Thanks!
laura says
I got distracted by my youngest and didn’t finish my thought before sending, sorry. So with oats being $6.87 /wk, or just two eggs for everyone and three for my husband that would be 23.84 for just lunch, not including three for his lunch, a 1/2 c blueberries, and a green apple or orange for his lunch every work day. Which would make it 18 doz. I couldn’t fit anything else in the fridge, let alone the cost of 26.82( I know it’s only $20 more over all, but that doesn’t include anything else for breakfast.) Then I consider coconut flour or other possibilities, but the moath doesn’t seem to add up.
Summer says
Hey Laura! I don’t have a specific budget posted anywhere and (shamefully) we don’t operate on a budget for food. We probably should. It honestly sounds like you’re doing a REALLY good job making things work minus breakfast. I will tell you, if oats fit in your budget right now, I think that’s a completely fine sacrifice to make in the Paleo diet. Paleo police might look down on it, but if that’s all you can do, that’s all you can do! We eat eggs every morning and we make quiche and egg muffins with leftovers to switch things up, but that’s just what works for us. I get the 5 dozen box at Walmart and it lasts us quite a while. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but if I find someone who I believe would be a good resource for you, I will let you know!
Ellie says
OMG I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for sharing!